


City of Mischief

by TFALokiwriter



Category: Angel (1999 TV series), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Los Angeles, Mask
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-11
Updated: 2014-11-20
Packaged: 2018-02-20 19:02:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2439449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TFALokiwriter/pseuds/TFALokiwriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes cleaning an age old mask can lead into a domino effect. Especially when it conceals something dark such as a dangerous demon. When a store owner cleans a golden and gray mask; it releases a demon. A demon that never should have seen the light of day. For Angel Investigations, they are greeted to a visit from a god warning them not to be in his way when dealing with this demon. Who is this god? Loki.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Mistakes

It was nightfall in the city of Los Angeles, city of Angels. It was the perfect time for a lurking vampire to feast in innocent victims. The darkness is a perfect way to hide from the potential victims who would not know death was inches away. But to those who knew, and were aware of these vampires, getting blood sucked was not an option. Especially when you are someone with the name ‘Angel’.

Our scene begins in a shop.A rather old shop. There is a store owner behind the counter while reading a magazine. The story owner is named Micheal Brownson. Across from him, in this shop, are two young individuals browsing the rows. We can at least guess the year is 2004 because of the cameras seen at the corners of the room.

“Tink dis is good?” The young individual, who we know is Doyle, held up a festival mask in his face, asks his ‘girlfriend’ Cordelia Chase.

Cordelia laughs at it.

“Angel would think otherwise.” Cordelia jokingly said, taking two masks out of the box that were white with black markings. “But these would do.”

Doyle puts the festival mask back on the hanger.

“All we need is a birthday cake.” Doyle adds.

“Vampires don’t eat cake.” Cordelia reminds Doyle.

“Blood cake.” Doyle said, earning a ‘what?’ reaction from Cordelia. “I know someone who can make cake for vampires. Dah kind vampires are capable of eating.”

Cordelia shifts to her side with a ‘I get it, almost’ reaction.

“Basically it is Jello cake,” Cordelia said, holding her palm out. “Except, it’s blood.”

“Yes.” Doyle said.

Cordelia is holding the red box item that’s basically a smaller version of Wall-marts carts without wheels and a seat. Cordelia turns her attention down to the rows of items that mostly would be handy for birthday occasions, activities for recreating medieval times, and snacks. Mainly it is assortment of items.

“How old is Angel, again?” Cordelia asks.

“Tree hundred seventy-seven.” Doyle guesses. “Or forty-nine hundred.”

“We’re need four candles marking four centuries.” Cordelia said, grabbing a rather sleek item that resembles a sword. She puts it into the red square box. “Angel’s age is more confusing than most vampires.”

Doyle turns his head to the left, and saw a see-through glass case with an interesting mask at the back.

“Tere should be an award for dat.” Doyle remarks.

Doyle walks down the aisle. He came to a stop from the transparent glass case. Inside of this transparent case is a golden gray mask. Below the glass case there is a small piece of metal that read ‘do not open or else. Even though the mask was in a container; Doyle could feel something was not right about it.

It was as though darkness resided in side of the mask.

“I want out.” A low desperate voice startles Doyle.

It was only him, Cordelia, and Brownson in the shop. Doyle turns to his right.

“Hey Princess, did ya say somethin’?” Doyle asks.

Cordelia looks away from the birthday cake candles section.

“No.” Cordelia said. “I haven’t figured which candle would be best.”

 _Tis is dark,_ Doyle thought as he turns back towards the mask. In the many cases Doyle has been part of; this was evil .Doyle can sense something was trapped inside the mask.The hair on his arms were going up.This sense made him aware whatever this ‘it’ is; it wants out.

There was a temptation to take off the glass and touch this unique ancient mask.

 _Oh no,_ Doyle thought as he began to feel an oncoming headache, _dose visions again._ Doyle backs away from the mask. Doyle grips on the flat metal edge to a platform (part of the aisle) with boxes on it. Images, names, feelings, and an address were part of this chaotic vision. He had been living with this ‘gift’ from the powers that be for some years.

“How about ‘happy new year candles’?” Cordelia asks, flipping up a big four with the ‘new year’ boldly on top.

Doyle accidently pushes down a box—which makes other boxes fall in its place—that made a fairly not-so-loud tumble. Cordelia left the candle stick area whilst still holding the crate and came to Doyle. She takes out a small notepad and pen from her coat pocket.Cordelia was mostly prepared with these items in case there were not paper or pen lying around when Doyle had the visions.

“Pen, paper.” Doyle said.

Cordelia hands the pen and paper to Doyle. Brownson, who we’re not calling by his first name, was made aware of commotion from the back.Brownson goes through the counter door and walks over to see what kind of mess he has to clean up. Brownson has a look of concern on his face.

“Hey, are you okay?” Brownson asks, seeing Doyle’s currently not-okay.

“He’ll be okay in a minute.” Cordelia said, as Doyle was writing on the notepad—with what he had seen—with an innocent smile. “He has bad headaches.”

“Motrin would help with the pain.” Brownson said. “Until the headache is gone.” He looks down to the spilled box that is wide open and all the products were on the floor. Somehow by a wild shot the glass case is covered in white dust; out of nowhere. “I just cleaned this case!”

The visions had apparently ended.

“Sorry.” Doyle apologizes. “Me headaches are, eh, terrible.”

“Know what, you can take whatever you want, it’s on me.” Brownson said, cooling himself down. Doyle and Cordelia share surprised looks. “I can really use this opportunity to not break stuff.”

“Thank you.” Cordelia said, and shared a glance to the paper. She looks to Doyle surprised at the address, and then to Brownson. “No really, thank you.”

“Not a problem.” Brownson said.

Cordelia and Doyle took four ‘happy new year’ candles, three new sleek medieval weapons, and a few other items. They left the store acting casual. But before long they were speeding off to a park across the street. Brownson takes out a broom and dustpan. He had to be the one who cleaned up the messes; as always.

“My brother should be doing this job.” Brownson comments, sweeping up the broken glass into the dust pan.

Brownson looks over to the glass transparent case. He leans the broom and dustpan against the corner of the platform with boxes. We see this defiant glare in Brownson’s eyes. He heard low voices that only crazy people could hear. With not a care to whatever may happen from taking the lid off; Brownson lifts the lid off using his bare hands.

“Now who is the scaredy cat?” Brownson asks a rhetorical question. “Not me this time!”

This time the voices were urging him to clean the mask. Which he did with cleaning supplies and towel.He cleans off the last speck of dirt. Then, as though an explosion had happened, Brownson was sent flying and then hit wall to the counter. The items inside the store were pretty much everywhere. He saw a figure walk away from the mask with an odd appearance and facial features were not human.

“Finally.” The figure said. “After five hundred years.” The figure cracks his knuckles. “I am free.”

In a second a dark smoke replaced him and goes through the door that no longer had glass.

“Freaky gas.” Brownson said, and then he fell over unconscious.


	2. To be warned

Eventually Brownson regained consciousness while slumped over with his back meeting the counter wall and his head tilted over. His eyes flutter open to see a strange odd and pale man making the mask float in mid-air. _First the gas, now this dude?_ Brownson made a groan as he pushes himself forward. As though Brownson had made a bird call; this caught the strange man’s attention. The strange man turns his head towards Brownson.

 “Who the hell are you?” Brownson asks. “Are you a cop?”

“No.” The pale man said. “I am Loki of Asgard, bundled with a glorious purpose to fix a problem.”

“Sorry pal.” Brownson said, pointing his thumb to the ceiling.  “The chandler was fixed last week.”

All right let’s call this pale man as the name he referred himself.

“I wasn’t talking about the chandler.” Loki said as the mask fell to the floor.  “I was referring to the demon you set free.”

Brownson scrambles up and then leans against the counter.

“There’s no demon here.” Brownson said.

“I know.” Loki said, approaching Brownson. “What did he offer you? Revenge? Eternal satisfaction?”

“I am calling the police.” Brownson said, taking a phone.

“Go ahead.” Loki said. “And tell them how you let loose a demon.”

“Demons don’t exist.” Brownson said.

“Yes they do.” Loki said, and then he adds a sarcastic laugh. “I would be prepping a trick on my brother if these demons were not real.” Loki turns the glass into spiders. “It is not fun to learn a demon my father had sealed for me is on the run.”

Brownson drops the phone.

“Who are you?” Brownson asks, fearing Loki by now.

“I am Loki.” Loki said.

“I know, but who the hell are you?” Brownson said.

“I am the son of Odin.” Loki said, changing the spiders into birds.

The birds went to the door similar to a crowded pillow. With a stroke of his hand the birds form became flat and transformed into glass. All that was left of the mess was the products all over the floor. The case that once shielded the mask is discarded on the floor. Brownson gapes at the window as Loki turns away from the glass.

  “God of mischief and lies.” Loki finishes.

“You’re a wizard.” Brownson said as Loki was close to him.

“I curse you and your family with stuttering and a knack for the supernatural.” Loki said. “This curse will last three, or, twelve generations.” We see a green glow from his fingertips. “Until they learn not to ignore signs.”

  We see Loki aim his hand at Brownson. We see Brownson’s eye burn—in a effect similar to Jonny Blaze when the Devil was marking him as ‘his’ ghost rider—with a light green glow shielding the destruction begin down to some part of his character. Brownson falls to the ground with closed eyes. Loki goes over to the counter that had a piece of paper. He picks up the paper to see what it read. The look on Loki’s face is disgruntled.

“Why is it that this mortal’s name comes up in the middle of this?” Loki asks out loud.

Loki uses his magic to burn the paper up into nothing but dust. Loki turns away from the counter then heads out of the store. It was Loki’s mess that should have been taken care of five centuries ago. A mess that should have ended differently.

_____                                                       ___

.  .  .One day later  .  .  .

.  .  . 9:38 AM  .  .  .  .

 “Uh hello?” Cordelia said, raising an eyebrow at Loki. “You need help?”

Loki turns his head over his shoulder, right towards the door.

“Two doors for one building.” Loki said, turning his head back towards Cordelia. “Two buildings within one. I thought you would have gained a new headquarters by now.This building is redundant.”

“I never met you.” Cordelia said, with a little smile.  “I am Cordelia Chase, the—“

“Secretary.” Loki said. “I know. I’ve met your ‘boss’. I need to speak with Angel about  .  . . Important matters.”

 Cordelia presses a button on a machine and then leans forward.

“Angel, you have a visitor.” Cordelia said. “He says it is important.”

“I’ll like to speak with him.” Angel’s voice is heard over the machine.

Cordelia presses a red button on the machine, and then looks up. However Loki was no longer there.The door to Angel’s office had closed like a breeze had gone through. Our scene goes into Angel’s office. Angel is leaning back into the chair looking fairly surprised at Loki’s arrival. It was so sudden.

“What are you here for this time?” Angel asks. “Is Odin still determined to get this Acalic back?”

“Not this time.” Loki said. “I came here to warn you.”

“Warn me?” Angel questions him leaning forward. “When did this escalate to a warning?”

“When a mortal let out Fauzeem.” Loki said. “He is a demon you should not attempt to capture or to interfere with. If your demon ‘associate’ has visions of a demon with a shadow that is nothing of this realm, or the demons you are used to; I suggest you don’t go.”

“Who is Fauzeem?” Angel asks. “Before I consider your warning.”

“A demon you would never want to face.” Loki said.  “He feeds off your wants, your fears,and your greed. Then he uses it against you."

“So he’s a feeder.” Angel assumes.

“I made the mistake to create him.” Loki said.  “Out of sheer childlishness.”

“So you made him when you were a kid.” Angel said. 

“Childs play.” Loki said, with a wave of his hand.  “Didn’t know what I was doing at the time.  But what I do know; I was playing around with higher forms of Asgardian Magic.But what I did create was a harmful monster. A man, but a dangerous monster who became a demon.The hate I saw in him was not from me, but, from him.”

"And you named him Fauzeem."  Angel said. "I don't want know about your childhood; but kids make a bit more creative names such as Bobette."

"Boba fett is a fat slug alien." Loki said. "And it was a better choice than Kahtorio."

"Okay," Angel said, shaking his hands.  "You got me there."

"And he's very ugly." Loki didn't seem to be kidding when commenting on Fauzeem's features."And he can become black shadows and gas to escape." Loki said. "Weapons made by mortals are useless on him."

"So you tried." Angle assumed.

"My brother and I had some difficulties." Loki said. "But we managed to subdue him. His confinement was dealt with by my father." Loki slides forth a paper with a phone number on the table. "Call me whenever your team comes across him."

"And if we don't come across him?" Angel asks.

"Then it is likely someone playing favoritism on you." Loki said. "Fauzeem doesn’t tend to leave his dwelling. That is his weakness."

Angel looks down towards the paper, and then up. Yet Loki was not in the office.

"He's way better at walking out." Angel remarks, taking the paper off the table. "Actually, Loki done it longer than I have."

Angel was half tempted to start a ‘who can leave more silent’ competition.


	3. Bitter dislike

Doyle and Cordelia end up going after a demon called Timber.Angel had a case to do with a family being targeted by two vampires. Angel Investigations was not only small; but there were other members. These other members took care of different cases that were more dangerous than a lurking demon that terrified the homeless and attempted to hurt a family.

Currently, these two were talking about Loki coming in without leaving his name.

“He didn’t leave a name.” Cordelia said.

“Dat’s rude.” Doyle said. “Not leavin’ a name ta call him sounds pretty lazy.”

Dealing with Demons and monsters at night and working as an actor at some hours in the day had become easy through the years for Cordelia.

“He was wide awake.” Cordelia said. “And more pale than Angel.”

“Dis pale man entered Angel’s office like a breeze and didn’t come out.” Doyle said.

“He somehow came out without me seeing him.” Cordelia said, her eyes wary for a monster called Timber.

“And knew yer name.” Doyle said.

“Yes.” Cordelia said.

“What armor was he wearin’?” Doyle asks.

Hard footsteps that would usually belong to a large deer are heard down the hall with pools of water here and there. Doyle and Cordelia hide in the dark with their weapons waiting. There were some homeless people who lived in here and had requested help from Angel Investigations to get rid of Timber.

“Metal.” Cordelia said.

“I mean dah color, Cordy.” Doyle said.

The footsteps were coming closer.

“Gold.” Cordelia said. “And how did you know he was wearing armor?”

“Five years ago tere was a man who entered me apartment.” Doyle said. “All dah locks were intact. He had dis golden armor ya would only see from dah lord of dah rings, and hair curled back as dough he was preparin’ for a dance.”

“Matches the man’s description.” Cordelia said, with a nod.

“Dat was Loki.” Doyle said, mentioning Loki’s name with much bitterness to it.

Cordelia looks over the corner of the tunnel corner and saw Timber’s face is that of a cat. His eyes were a cloudy kind of gray not the friendly light green or welcoming orange. Timber had a human torso complete by a shirt with armor. Yet Timber had the body of a strong horse that people can probably argue it was a stallion’s body.

“Aww.” Cordelia said, finding Timber’s cat face cute. “He looks so—“ Timber’s cat face turn from cute to intimidating as he reveals his fangs and the wrinkles on his fur slid up some detail upwards that it made some frightening features stand out. The cute face dwindled down into a fearsome one. “Scary.”

“Not all Limberedoms are cute.” Doyle remarks as Cordelia turns away from the corner and went out of Timber’s eyesight.

Randomly, a black cat with lagoon green eyes appeared near the corner. To be more specific this cat is at the corner of a hallway passage. Cordelia notices the black cat with its tail swaying back and forth. Something seems strange about this cat that didn’t seem fazed by their weapons in hand.

“Are cats supposed to be in sewer tunnels?” Cordelia asks.

“Not dat I know of.” Doyle said. “If tere were cats in dah sewers ten tere wouldn’t be so many rats.”

The cat continues watching them and seemed it wouldn’t leave at all.

“Okay, street smarts.” Cordelia said, as the wrapped up rope that is hanging on her shoulder leans on the medieval weapon. “What’s the distraction plan?”

“Me.” Doyle said.

Our scene transitions to a later time at night. Timber lay in the puddle of water apparently dead and died. Cordelia and Doyle were conducting ‘rock, paper, scissors’ so they can decide who will pull the big wheel barrow out of the tunnel. Doyle ends up winning the game and Cordelia losing the game.

Our scene is now in a present time; not at the time when Doyle and Cordelia were playing the game.

“Is Loki from the powers up there?” Cordelia asks, waving her hand up in the air towards the ceiling.

They were walking own the tunnel towards the exit. Keep in mind there’s a tarp over the dead body that is in a large wheel barrow with Doyle tugging it.

“Not one of dah powers dat be.” Doyle said. “He is a Norse God.” The cat is apparently no where in sight, surprisingly. “A really arrogant one dat is.” We see a black tail from the corner of some tunnel across from them. “Ya know he called Demons as the evil thin’s dat run amok at night.”

“Are you sure he said that?” Cordelia asks.

“Dat god told me ‘Demons are demons’.” Doyle said with a tone that didn’t sound forgiving towards the person who told him that. “And I kicked him outta my apartment.”

Cordelia has a confused look on her face.

“So he didn’t have a spare key.” Cordelia assumes.

“I wouldn’t give a insultin’ Norse God a key ta my house.” Doyle said. “I hadn’t met him before ten. So I didn’t welcome him inta my house.”

“There must be more to this.” Cordelia said. “I know you wouldn’t just kick a man out for insulting you.”

“He turned dah carpet inta a mouse.” Doyle said as he tugs the wheel barrow with his left hand. Timber’s weight on the wheel barrow did not seem to be a problem for Doyle. “And it chewed on me chair!”

“Why didn’t you get a broom to chase the mouse out?” Cordelia asks.

“It was me carpet.” Doyle said it in a way that he liked the carpet. “I don’t want ta replace a carpet, ya know.” Doyle shook his right hand up and down in midair. “He turned dah mouse inta a carpet before I kicked him out. Dat arrogant god sneaked inta my house usin’ some form of magic.”

We watch Cordelia and Doyle carry on the conversation as they strolled right out of the leaky almost light tunnel.We see Timber’s body is covered by a big tarp but his fine sharpened claws were dripping some form of blood. Once they had left the tunnel and were not in ear shot; we see a cat walk up to the entrance. The dark creepy cat stops at the surface where the street ends and the tunnel begins. An odd black cloud surrounds the small feline sitting on the entrance. The smoke clears away to reveal a cold calm Loki in the shadows.

“There is a fine line between demons and monsters.” Loki said as the two were in the distance. “Monsters have no interest in souls.”

There is a ‘creator’ bond between Loki and Fauzeem; it allowed Loki to feel when Fauzueem is near. The feeling is strong but it was not enough for him to know which direction Fauzeem is currently at. Loki hated not knowing something that he had to know this instant. It became apparent that using the disguise of a crow might work out better than searching through land based creatures.

Tonight did not feel right.

Tonight Loki could feel victory from Fauzeem. The feeling was random at the time it came in. The only times when Loki felt this was when he had done something unheard of using his magic on others. This victorious feeling was not a sign of good news.It meant Fauzeem had been successful doing something that Loki did not know.


	4. Something new something strange

“What kind of shadow does Fauzeem have?” Angel asks, over the phone. “You didn’t specify his shadow.”

“I forgot.” Loki said. “His real form makes the shadow of a man with a crooked back, monstrous wings joined to huge claws,long unusual spikes stick out from behind his neck,and an average Midgardian would think a huge a gargoyle is stalking them.”

“Sounds ugly.” Angel remarks.

“I intended him to be a hunchback gargoyle.” Loki replied. “A guardian, not a monster.”

“What did you expect?” Angel asks, as Loki could imagine Angel taking a cup of blood coffee out the blood coffee machine. “Did you expect a cute version of a hunch back gargoyle as a baby like Pegasus’s in the cartoon Hercules movie?”

“A little.” Loki admits.

“So you attempted to make a cute baby version of Goliath.” Angel said over the phone. “I didn’t know gods had a sense of humor.”

Loki takes the phone off his ear then presses on the red upside down symbol of a phone.

“I keep telling father we need to get a goddess to reassure Midgardians we are not always serious.” Loki said, rolling an eye as he puts the phone into his coat pocket.

It was daylight when Loki discovered why Fauzeem felt victorious the night before. Loki went to the scene of a crime; a crime that had all the tell-tale signs pointing straight to Fauzeem. He walked into the crime scene under the disguise of a man who can be mostly associated to detective work. It made blending into the crime scene easier. Loki’s boot crushes piece of glasses into little fragments. The furniture was turned over and a trail of blood circled around the room.

“At least that hasn’t changed.” Loki said, looking down the glass-less wide frame window that made it easy to see a deadbody on the pavement from above. He could see the yellow tape that has small signs of black blocks of text.Compared to Britain’s blue and white crime scene tape; this tape made the crime scene more attention grabbing.

Loki knew how Fauzeem left the scene of his crimes.

The feeling that Fauzeem was watching from a safe distance made unspeakable fury grow in Loki. He did not like to play games with the demonical creation that is able to become human and then his horrid real form. The victim of this nasty crime, along with ten other people, was near the table. The victim looks so young, so tragic, and so dead.

Loki saw a white feather laying on her chest perfectly clean not tainted in blood.

Loki looks down to the dead Midgardian. _What did he offer? Of course; he offered the chance to make those who demean her pay,_ Loki rationalizes in his head, _Did she feel temptation at his offer? Did she feel fear when he took control?_ He saw the Midgardian’s eyes were closed instead of being open. He picks up the feather from the dead body. Fauzeem never left the scene of his crime with the victim’s eyes open.

“Who the hell are you?” Detective Kate Lockley asks, right as she entered the room.

Loki puts the feather back on the body.

“Special Agent Harry Syles.” Loki lied, standing back up.

Loki takes out a leather bound wallet item then flipped it open and let her see it. We can see there’s nothing on it but to Detective Kate there was ID, name, and badge on it.An irritated expression grew across her face. Loki turns to his right towards Detective Kate Lockley.

“I was requested to be on this case with you.” Loki said, putting the leather bound item into his coat pocket.

“This crime scene was JUST found.” Detecive Kate said. “You cannot have been requested to be on my case.”

“What if I told you this is the work of a serial killer?” Loki asks, approaching Detective Kate.

“You’ve gone mad.” Detective Kate said. “The Lab Squints haven’t started collecting evidence.”

_Lab Squints_ , Loki mentally notes to himself, _I should ask someone what it means._

“Evidence of the crime doesn’t need to be collected to know there’s a serial killer.” Loki argues.

“Give me the proof.” Detective Kate said.

Loki magically makes a file appear in his coat then he takes it out and hands it to Detective Kate.


	5. After Asgard; when he met her

“Miss Candy Lansy.”  Detective Kate said, with a raise of her eyebrow.

“Lanzy”.” Candy corrects Detective Kate.

Loki is watching people walk in and out of the room holding bags, samples, and carrying body bags to a table-bed.  _They evolved from going into battle using a move-able bed to recover the wounded to using that same bed to retrieve the dead,_ Loki noted the change in the move-able bed’s purpose.

Candy is the one who found the crime scene first so Loki and Detective Kate are questioning her. They were questioning her in a vacant room that is down te hallway and sort of across from the crime scene. The door is ajar enough that Loki could see what is going on.

“You were the first to find the scene.” Detective Kate said. “I understand you knew the first victim.”

 “H-h-he was  my boyfriend.” Candy lied,while her fingers are dripping some droplets of sweat. She cleans her hands using a hankerchief.

“You share the same neck mark as the first victim.” Loki said, pointing out the partially exposed black symbol on Candy’s neck.  Candy is surprised by Loki’s quick deduction on the spot. “This is a rare marking that twins hailing from Austrailia during the 1972 sudden marking virus would have.”

Detective Kate furrows her eyebrows with her attention fixed on Loki.

“Agent Syles, how is this relevant?” Detective Kate asks.

Candy pulls her  jacket coller up.

“There was a serial killer a few years ago killing people who had the same neck mark.” Loki lied.  “We did an extensive background check  on the four victims.We found there was a rare genetic gene mark going around in twins at Australia thirty two years ago. It was all over the news."

"I don't remember any serial killer like that." Candy mentioned in a grumble.

“It was characterized by a cough, a fever,diliated eyes, random sweating, and the marking was puffed and orange." Loki continued, getting raised eyebrows from Detective Kate. Her eyebrows seceded back down. "These symptoms came up when the twins were nine months old.”

“Sounds like the whooping cough.” Detective Kate said.

“It was not the whooping cough.” Loki said, shaking his right hand. “Every one thought it was an infection when it was not.” He gestures to Candy’s partially visible marking. “Finding an unusual marking that is not a birthmark is rare these days.”

“They made a pill for it.”  Candy whispers.

That mark was made by Loki ages ago. It was meant for one generation of twins but somehow it passed through several households and randomly became infectious to other twins. Loki could not undo the problematic mistake because it was up to humanity to solve their consequence. Also that Odin did not want Loki to do anything further on the 'neck-marking' issue.

“And you experience random heat flares.” Loki said. “Explains why you are sweating in the middle of a cold front.” The way he mentioned it sounded casual. “I don’t understand why you are making a fib over the fact our first victim is your brother.He is not your boyfriend."

Candy clenches her purse strap.

"He _is_ your brother." Detective Kate acknowledges, aloud.

 __                                       ___                                            ___

Seven years pass, and where do we find ourselves? This scene is no other than in New York City. We can best assume that Fauzeem had been dealt with, also that Doyle owe Loki a favour when-ever it comes around.Loki was using a burner phone--in a dark street--under the disguise of Harry Syles. The street lights were on, in the warm summer night. A few cats were seen stalking the alleys for rats.

“Hello, Detective Kate.” Loki said.

“Mr Syles, quite the time to call.” Kate said. “After _seven_ years. At five in the morning."

"It's only been seven years?" Loki asks.  "I thought it had been four."

"And you’re famous." Detective Kate said, catching him off guard on the other end. We hear a short disappointed sigh from her end of the conversation. "You never picked me up at the restaurant.”

“I am not famous.” Loki said, chosing to ignore the last part. 

“Are too.” Kate said. “I’ve dealt with the public view on the job, and, getting into the world of fame all over again is just...too much. Don't you remember about the last case we worked on?"

"I remember it well." Loki said.

"I still remember seeing a gargoyle creature leaning-over your body, and then, just solid blackness." Detective Kate said. "And the victims, all high profiled, were...not lucky cases."

“So you don’t want to hang out.” Loki said.

“Not today.” Detective Kate said.

"I was going to offer a make up visit to a restaurant  for not coming." Loki said. "But, that can be arranged for a later date."

That conversation was earlier that morning. Now, Loki stood by the laundry machine with a flat device called an ‘ipad’ playing a certain name defined ‘Temple Run’ where Midgardians had to run for their lives to escape death by monkeys or missing the wrong turn when running. All Loki had to do was get the coins and get to the ending.

_R-r-Ring_ went the doorbell to the laundry room.

Loki could feel a joyful atmosphere in the air. It seemed odd. Not only did Loki hate it when something confused him, but it was not solving one question that bugged him. His gaze is shifted from the flat screen to the laundry machines. There he saw an odd woman with three dots under her eyes pretending to be reading a magazine while leaning back in a chair nearby a laundry machine. She had one eye fixated on his double taking out the laundry.

“I know you are watching me.” Loki said, swiping his finger right on the ipad screen.

The joyful woman fell back in the chair. She quickly gets back on her two feet.

“Are you okay?” Lindy Salsman, the American woman, asks in a concerned voice.

The joyful woman puts her chair up and flashes a big smile.

“I am fine.” The joyful woman said.

“Are you sure?” Lindy asks.

“No need to be concerned.” The joyful woman said, waving her right hand lightly.

Lindy looks over to Loki.

“Um, you know her?” Lindy asks.

“I don’t know who you are.” Loki spoke in Korean.

Lindy turns away embarrassed and heads to her laundry basket.

“You speak in Korean?” The joyful woman asks, startled and puzzled at once.

Lindy picks up her laundry basket.

“Of course I can.” Loki said it as though the fact was obvious. “Don’t see another reason why not.”

“Cool.” The joyful woman said.

Loki looks up, raising a brow. He could recognize a few of her key features to Sif from Asgard.

“Who sent you?” Loki asks, taking a step back and puts his ipad device into his coat pocket.

The joyful woman at first frowns, and then, shrugs.

“Nobody.” The joyful woman said, causually. “And by my defense; I didn’t want this.”

“Come on, someone from Asgard couldn’t have just lucky found me.” Loki said, snapping his fingers. His projection, right across from the two, that had been taking out the last laundry sizzles away letting the clothes fall into a basket. “You must have been sent for me. How did brother find me this time?”

She sighs, with a shake of her head.

“Um dude.” The joyful woman said. “I didn’t _intend_ to find you.”

“Find me?” Loki repeats. “So Thor _did_ send you!”

The joyful woman’s hands balled up into a fist. Her eyebrows met each other.

“If I had been sent by Thor then next time you would see he has a broken nose.” The joyfulwoman said in a hateful tone at the mention of Thor. Loki’s eyebrows were up at once, utterly confused how a woman could find Thor so hateful. “Let’s get that clear between us.”

She sways her hand forward at the last part. She is lying about one part that Loki could tell.

“Someone sent you.” Loki said, as the joyful woman’s face falters. “Stop lying and tell me who sent you.”

She rubs her forehead making a certain comment along the lines ‘over my dead body’.

“I am not lying.” The joyful woman said, with a groan.

Loki turns away while holding his laundry basket and heads out the door.

“Word of advice; don’t search for me.” Loki said, in a warning type of voice and spoke it in the way that made him sound better than anyone in this building.

Loki didn’t know at the time that little mystery Demi-God would become someone he would want to solve.

Or someone to save.


End file.
